Nov. 14, 2013 10:10 a.m. ET
WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama will deliver a statement on the health law at 11:35 a.m. EST Thursday, the White House said, as the administration signaled it was open to legislation to fix problems with the rollout.
Mr. Obama, who will be speaking from the White House briefing room, has faced increasing pressure in recent days from lawmakers, including those in his own party, to make changes to the law to help the millions of people who are losing their health insurance because of cancellations.
U.S. President Barack Obama. Getty Images
New administration figures released Wednesday showed that only 26,794 people nationwide had enrolled in a private health plan through the online federal marketplace in its first month—far short of projections. Meantime, some 79,391 people had bought private plans on state-run exchanges.
The White House provided no details in its statement about what Mr. Obama will be announcing. However, officials have suggested that Mr. Obama was open to a bill by Sen. Mary Landrieu (D., La.) that would require insurers to continue offering plans that were in existence this year, even if that meant reinstating ones that had been canceled because they didn't meet the health law's standards.
The White House shift came as more Democrats in Congress, fearful of a voter backlash because of the law, have lost confidence in administration assurances that the problems could be solved without changing the legislation.
Administration officials have said they want to help people who have had their policies canceled, don't qualify for subsidies and now are faced with higher premiums. But these officials haven't explained how they would do that.
—Siobhan Hughes contributed to this article.
WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama will deliver a statement on the health law at 11:35 a.m. EST Thursday, the White House said, as the administration signaled it was open to legislation to fix problems with the rollout.
Mr. Obama, who will be speaking from the White House briefing room, has faced increasing pressure in recent days from lawmakers, including those in his own party, to make changes to the law to help the millions of people who are losing their health insurance because of cancellations.
U.S. President Barack Obama. Getty Images
New administration figures released Wednesday showed that only 26,794 people nationwide had enrolled in a private health plan through the online federal marketplace in its first month—far short of projections. Meantime, some 79,391 people had bought private plans on state-run exchanges.
The White House provided no details in its statement about what Mr. Obama will be announcing. However, officials have suggested that Mr. Obama was open to a bill by Sen. Mary Landrieu (D., La.) that would require insurers to continue offering plans that were in existence this year, even if that meant reinstating ones that had been canceled because they didn't meet the health law's standards.
The White House shift came as more Democrats in Congress, fearful of a voter backlash because of the law, have lost confidence in administration assurances that the problems could be solved without changing the legislation.
Administration officials have said they want to help people who have had their policies canceled, don't qualify for subsidies and now are faced with higher premiums. But these officials haven't explained how they would do that.
—Siobhan Hughes contributed to this article.